MANILA, Philippines -- The National Basketball League (NBL) and the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) have gotten the approval of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) to turn professional.

The leagues, which present themselves as a venue for "homegrown" players to shine, passed the requirements of GAB to become the country's newest pro outfits.

"NBL's application to turn professional has been approved and accepted by GAB. The professional games division, as well as the legal and medical divisions have sat down and studied and vetted the safety protocols, the tournament rules," GAB chairman Baham Mitra said in a press conference Wednesday.

"The people behind the NBL were subjected to the study, and it is not easy to comply with the requirements, especially the health requirements and the organizational structure. But they have passed," he added.

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The NBL was founded in 2018, with the WNBL following suit a year later. The league prides itself on being "purely homegrown," as players have to be bonafide residents of their team's province, city, or municipality in order to qualify.

As it turns professional, the leagues' organizers vow to stay true to their mission of giving an opportunity to homegrown basketball players who may otherwise not get the chance to play professional basketball after their collegiate careers are done.

"In our three seasons of handling this homegrown league, we've seen a lot of athletes from the provinces who try their luck to play in Manila. But later, after three or four years, they went back to their respective provinces," said Rose Montreal, the leagues' executive vice president.

"Pero ito na po 'yung araw na hinihintay natin. Para po ito sa ating mga players," she added.

Montreal takes special pride in the WNBL, which gives the country's female players a chance to continue their basketball careers at home after their collegiate days.

Some of the league's best female players have had to play abroad as imports, as the country did not yet have a professional league for women. Recently, five-time UAAP champion Jack Animam of National University was signed to be an import in Taiwan.

"Today is the day for our WNBL players, the women players who have been dreaming of playing in a professional women's league," said Montreal.

NBL president Celso "Soy" Mercado vowed to keep raising the profile of both leagues.

"Umasa kayo, sisiguraduhin natin na pauunlarin natin at payayamanin natin itong NBL, lalo na itong WNBL," he said.

The league is planning to hold a "bubble" in Pampanga where it will play out the rest of its third season, which has been postponed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The NBL and WNBL are the latest basketball leagues to turn professional despite the ongoing health crisis. In July, Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 also received GAB's approval to turn pro.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website).